Gnomes
Gnomes are odd creatures, easily the most strange of all civilized beings on Galea. They are not native to Galea nor Ire, but existed on both simultaneously. Their original home is the Primal Verdant, where all fey originate. Once, long ago, Gnomes were likely fey, but their connection to the Primal Verdant has deteriorated so only a fraction of their power still remains. Now, their main goal is to stave off the affects of the Beaching as long as possible. It is believed by most that Gnomes are actually immortal, even after being away from the Primal Verdant for so long. However, the Bleaching takes all Gnomish lives eventually. While they do not suffer the affects of aging, the Bleaching has a similar affect on them. Appearance Gnomes are short humanoids, usually standing just over 3 feet tall, with unusually large heads for their body. They are thin, yet still maintain an uncanny toughness. They are vibrantly colored with hair and eyes ranging though all colors of the rainbow. Their ears are slightly pointed, like most fey. Duller, faded colors exist on older Gnomes who have suffered the affects of the Bleaching. History Exodus Long ago, some say tens of thousands of years, the Gnomes all migrated from the Primal Verdant to the Prime Material. The reason for this migration has been lost to time, but it is known that every single Gnome left the Verdant. Roughly half of the Gnomes went to Galea and the other half went to Ire. Other History Recent History Society & Culture Society Religion Relations Adventurers Racial Traits Bleaching All gnomes, no matter their subrace, undergo the Bleaching as time progresses. Despite endless research, the exact cause of the Bleaching is unknown, although it came be slowed and even sometimes reversed with an increase in new stimulating activities. Some believe it to be caused by the exodus and say that the Gnomes requires the land of endless possibilities that is the Primal Verdant in order to live forever. Effects The Bleaching will begin to manifest at different ages for each Gnome, but typically the first signs begin to show mid-adulthood. The gnomes complexion begins to dull and turn more white. Their hair and eyes loose their vibrance, moving into pastels and eventually turns white. Their spirit is affected as well, dulling their curiosity and sending them into depression. This affect has the added side affect of increasing the rate at which a Gnome continues to Bleach. The lack of of new stimulus is the exact cause of the Bleaching in the first place, and losing the desire to seek new experiences furthers the progression, creating a downward spiral that no gnome has ever returned from. The physical body change also begins to harden their skin and toughen their body while also slowing down their reflexes. Eventually, a gnome will completely be taken by the Bleaching and at this point they will turn to stone. Gnomish grave yards are filled with statues of those who have completely succumb to the Bleaching. A child Gnome is exceptionally vibrant. Their hair and eyes are the brightest they will ever be. Their skin is blush and filled with life. It is at this time that Gnomes are the most curious. So much so that Gnomes have the highest rate of child death due to accident than any other civilized race. It is believed that children gnomes are the most pure gnome and are the natural state of gnomes within the Verdant. Evidence for this is seen from gnomes who spend a good amount of time in the Verdant. An adult Gnome is still brightly colored, although the effects of the Bleaching start to take on physical traits. The Bleaching has not yet began to take a physically detrimental affect on the body, but the mind already is affected. The gnome child-wonder lessens slightly, noticeably enough that the chances of death by accident decreases significantly. However, it is this temperament that most other races are use to. Category 1 Gnomes begin to physically and mentally fade. Their colors turn more pastel and they become slightly more melancholy than they use to be. They begin to physically slow and their skin starts to lighten. Category 2 Gnomes have faded significantly. Their hairs are pale versions of the original, their skin pales and looks as if it were whitening, and their personality begins to take a turn for the worst. They are noticeably melancholy and depressed and those who know the Gnome will easily notice a decrease in wonder and excitement. Category 3 Gnomes are almost completely faded. Their hair is usually grey at this point, with maybe a slight hint of the original color. They are slow to respond and show a significant lack of caring for anything. Category 3 Gnomes rarely adventure, but sometimes they get out and experience new things on their own. Typically it is done from prodding from loved ones. Category+ Gnomes have reached the final stages of their lives. They skin is white to the point of resembling marble, their hair is pure white, and they have a complete lack of self preservation. It is at this point the most families of the Bleached Gnome begin to take care of him. From this point there is almost no chance of returning to any vibrancy. Reversing Bleaching While death from Bleaching can only rarely be overcome, it can be delayed. Stimulation and new life experiences are the only way to slow the effects of Bleaching. Sometimes, in rare cases, the effects of Bleaching will begin to subside. However, this typically only happens if one has reached a new phase of the Bleaching in recent years and then has many new life experiences during that time. There has been some research in leaving Gnomes in the Primal Verdant for some time. Time spent in the Verdant seems to pause the effects of Bleaching, but so far it does not seem to reverse it. If it is possible to reverse the effects within the Verdant, no Gnome has stayed there long enough to know. Bleaching Category A Bleaching Category is much like an age category, but only affects Gnomes, as they are immune to aging. Each bonus and penalty from all categories stack with each other. As one gains levels the age increases in which the Bleaching sets in. The affects of the Bleaching can be reversed by gaining more experience in life. Each level increase the Bleaching categories by 10 years. The strongest and most experiences gnomes can live over 1,000 years, while those with the least amount of life experience will live less than 200. When a gnome's Dexterity reaches 0 due to the Bleaching, he dies and turns to stone. If the gnome's Charisma reaches 0 first, he becomes comatose and typically will be taken care of by the family. He will lay in bed awaiting the finally stages of life. If the Charisma score reaches 0, each Category+ happens every year regardless of level of the gnome. Subraces *Arcane Gnome (Lrenvori) *Chaos Gnome (Veblorvin) *Deep Gnome (Sverfneblin) *Forest Gnome (Vrish) *Ice Gnome (Kinvli) *Tinker Gnome (Minoi) *River Gnome (Rovlin) *Rock Gnome (Imvorrlin) *Whisper Gnome (Shnovli)